The present invention relates to data processing and, and more specifically, to an integrated circuit and data processing system having a configurable cache directory for an accelerator.
As computing enters the post-Moore's Law era, the traditional boundary between central processing unit (CPU) and input/output (I/O) devices is being disrupted. Computational demands for emerging workloads such as cognitive computing (i.e., artificial intelligence) have forced the introduction of heterogeneous systems that combine traditional CPUs with throughput-centric compute accelerators. For example, the highly parallel architecture of graphics processors has been adapted for general-purpose highly parallel computing. This greater computational demand has also forced dramatic changes in what is defined as storage. Emerging technologies are creating memory devices that fill the gaps between storage and main memory. The first attempts to integrate these technologies have used traditional I/O attach strategies such as PCI Express (PCIe), which has resulted in suboptimal solutions with bandwidth bottlenecks and high-latency hardware built on software models incapable of adequately handling the communication demands.